The Great December Cookie Bake

Posted on December 4, 2012 by backyardsisters

Come December, the Backyard Sisters take to the kitchen. We buy pounds of flour, sugar and butter and rummage through the pantry for chocolate chips, food coloring, sprinkles and other various ingredients. The main objective – cookies, and lots of them. There’s nothing like the sweet buttery scent of sugar cookies in the oven to put one in the mood for elfish activities. This month, we are sharing some of our favorite cookie recipes, photos and stories from our great cookie bakes. Closer to Christmas, all the sisters and cousins who are in town get together for the annual great Christmas cookie bake. Energized by Christmas carols and each others’ company, we sift, mix, dance, roll out dough, laugh and decorate the day away. Just about every year there is one batch that doesn’t come out as planned – like the year the snowball cookies came out resembling hockey pucks more than snow balls. . .

still not sure what happened there. Or, the time the fudge turned out powdery; prompting careful monitoring of the second attempt.

Usually, though, things go smoothly.

And after a day filled with rotating cookies sheets in and out of the oven and ending with a delicious artistic expression. . .

we produce a platter over-flowing with the sweet, crispy, tasty, fruits of our labors. ( Note the usual snowball cookies front left.)

At this backyard sister’s house, the first batch to kick off the season is sugar cookies.

These are crisp and delicate with a hint of vanilla.

For many years, the youngest backyard daughter and her friend have made a batch to sell in front of the house, along with cocoa, to the many people streaming through our neighborhood to enjoy the light displays, but, most importantly, the “Big Guy” likes them too.
From our house to yours:

Extraordinary Sugar Cookies

1 cup butter                                        4 1/2 cups flour
1 cup granulated sugar 1 tsp cream of tartar
1 cup powdered sugar                          1 tsp baking soda
1 cup oil                                                1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs                                                  1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp almond extract (optional)

Cream the butter and sugars in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in oil and eggs. Beat well. Add flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt and extracts. Mix until well blended. Chill the dough. Roll about heaping teaspoon size amount of dough into a ball and roll in sugar (can mix colored sugar in with granulated sugar) then flatten with bottom of glass dipped in granulated sugar. Bake at 350° for 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Makes about 6 dozen cookies.

Enjoy!

~ Sue

The Weekend Dish-Savory Bite

Posted on November 30, 2012 by backyardsisters

Since tomorrow is the first day of December, I thought it might be nice to share an appetizer recipe for your holiday gatherings. I belong to a Bunco group. Bunco is a game played with dice. We get together monthly to play and eat. We are a Bunco group that likes to eat, and everyone brings either a dessert or an appetizer. One month before Bunco I was trying to decide what to bring while looking in the refrigerator and pulling out ingredients that just might go together . . .

What to make with these ingredients

I came up with this appetizer. The Bunco ladies liked it and hopefully you will too.

Mushroom and Goat Cheese Crostini

1 loaf of french bread baguette sliced
1 lb. crimini mushrooms (you can use any kind, I prefer these)
3 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 yellow onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 Tbsp soy sauce
3 Tbsp red wine
balsamic vinegar
goat cheese
black pepper

Toast the bread slices under the broiler until lightly browned. Finely chop the mushrooms, onion and garlic; a food processor works great for this. Heat the olive oil in a saute pan on medium-high heat. Cook the onion and garlic until translucent about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook until the liquid released from the mushrooms evaporates. Add the soy sauce and red wine and cook until most of the juices have evaporated. Spread the mushroom mixture on the bread slices and sprinkle a little balsamic vinegar on each (just a sprinkle, don’t want it running all over the bread). Place about a quarter inch slice from a goat cheese log on top of the mushroom mixture on each. Sprinkle with coarse ground black pepper. Put under the broiler until the goat cheese is warmed, about 2-3 minutes. Keep an eye on it.
Serves 12 as an appetizer.

Let the festivities begin-

~Sue

waiting and watching and wishing and hoping

Posted on November 27, 2012 by backyardsisters

While doing the morning dishes and looking out the back window lately, I am entertained by the sight of finches using our bird bath. One recent morning, I grab my camera, stealthily creep out to the backyard and stage myself close enough to hopefully allow for an action shot of the activities. Sitting as still as possible with camera poised I wait. . . and wait; for a half an hour, at least, I wait and not one bird comes close to taking a dip. A few days later, still determined to capture the activities, I venture out again. This time trying a new location a little farther away and armed with a 100mm-300mm zoom lens. About fifteen minutes in, my mind begins wandering. Thinking back, many years ago, to when we purchased the bird bath and one of the backyard daughters, Michele, was about four years old. We lugged it out to the carefully chosen spot in the garden, placed it in the dirt wiggling and maneuvering it back and forth to level it and filled the bowl with water. Michele was excited about the new addition to the backyard and couldn’t wait for the first visitors to arrive for a bath. “How will they know it’s here?” she queried. I assured her the birds would be able to find it but she decided to help out and rode around the backyard on her pink bicycle with training wheels and streamers hanging from the handlebars shouting, every few seconds, “Birdbath! . . . Birdbath!” Unfortunately, it had the opposite of the desired effect and eventually we decided to wait and watch from inside the house. Sitting there in the yard, warmed by the sun and the fond memory, I waited once again. This time there were a few birds but they seemed to distrust me and kept their distance and a watchful eye on me and the bird bath.

No birds were brave enough to dive in that day either. Not one to give up easily, I decide maybe third time’s a charm. Same zoom lens and location, I stake out once again. A few minutes in, there goes my mind again. Thinking of the upcoming holidays and trying to decide when to begin decking the halls, I realize many of the plants in our backyard are festively red and green at this time of year. The pepper tree’s berries are just ripening.

As are the toyon berries.

The only rose bush flowering in my garden right now is the one with the red blossoms.

Spirits lifted by this unexpected holiday gift, I notice the loud caw of many crows nearby. Looking up, I see a beautiful hawk with a crow in hot pursuit.

Those crows are relentless.

Getting back to bird bath watch, I notice there are more birds in the yard getting closer to me and the bath this time. One is slowly working its’ way over. Finally, it alights on the bath; although it is partly obscured by the foreground plant.

It is barely there a second, as I achieve focus and start snapping away, it is spooked and takes off.

Photography can benefit from patience, also the occasional wandering mind to help pass the time and alert the eye to other photo worthy subjects in the area doesn’t hurt. I am not through yet. My spot is waiting and I dare say the birds are becoming accustomed to the occasional visitor. I will be on bird bath stakeout again soon. I want the shot of the water flying as the birds wiggle and splash in the bath and I will get it!

With perseverance, persistence and a bit of meandering,

~Sue

Thanks for the Opportunities

Posted on November 20, 2012 by backyardsisters

Thanksgiving is a couple of days away and while a great deal of my time lately has been devoted to perusing recipes, in my recipe box and magazines; reading the accompanying articles about planning the meal and following countdowns to the feast, creates nostalgia for Thanksgivings past. The urge to take a break from the food planning, sent me to my photos. Thanksgiving offers a wealth of opportunities for photography. The table alone can hold many items which make excellent still life subjects.

Try some macro photography as well…

The action in the kitchen presents another chance to capture memories from the mashing of the potatoes to the slicing of the turkey, every activity is worthy of a memory – even putting the turkey down for its’ rest before slicing.

Here’s a tip: if you are in the vicinity of the turkey as it is being sliced, you may be called in to service as a taste tester!

After the main meal, before dessert, there is nothing quite like a rousing game of photo tag for allowing your food to digest.

These reminiscences are fond ones. Recalling the fun of preparing and sharing the meal with loved ones warms my heart. One thing I did notice while flipping through my photos, I don’t have many pictures of the food. This year, along with my usual people pictures, I am going to make an effort to capture the food in all its’ succulent glory. Better get back to those recipes and deciding what to make for my veggie side dish.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

~Sue

The Weekend Dish

Posted on November 16, 2012 by backyardsisters

Ever wonder what type of bird you saw or what is the difference, if any, between seagulls with varied coloring? For the curious and those wanting to get outside and maybe learn a thing or two, and take some pictures too, this weekend is the last bird walk of the year at the Ballona Wetlands. The third Sunday of every month, except December, LA Audubon hosts a bird walk in the Ballona Wetlands.

On the walk, the guide will help with bird identification while the group observes the interactions of the various species and discuss the wetland’s ecosystem.

The wetlands are teeming with life and thus offer many opportunities for catching some wildlife activity and learning from the knowledgeable guides.

For all the details click here and grab your camera, a thirst for knowledge and a zoom lens, if you have one, take an inspiration break and head to the wetlands for some great birding.

Happy Weekend!

~Sue

Catch a Setting Sun

Posted on November 13, 2012 by backyardsisters

It occurs every day and can be taken for granted because of this, but some days I am compelled to find a spot to settle in and capture it with my camera. It is the setting sun. There are times when the sky is clear and you can watch it slowly sinking into the horizon until all that is left is a glowing spot where the sun used to be.

It was this sort of day recently that sparked my photographic enthusiasm.

Capturing the colors and beauty of a sunset with a camera can be difficult but there are a few adjustments one can make to help. The sun is very bright and bright things have a tendency to be overexposed. When this happens, the colors are washed out and not as vibrant as they appear to the eye. I start with setting my light meter to spot meter and aim slightly to the left or right of the sun. A smaller aperture opening – which is achieved by using the larger values – keeps the sun’s light from overexposing the scene. I used an f-stop of 22 in these photos. Using a small aperture creates the need to gather light somewhere else; this can be accomplished by either slowing down the shutter speed, raising the ISO or using a combination of both. The higher the ISO number the more sensitive to light the camera becomes. A slower shutter speed increases the risk of blurry pictures due to camera shake, which increases the need for a tripod or a very steady hand. I used an ISO of 800 for these and the shutter speed varied to adjust to the changing light as the sun set.

Digital cameras have a white balance setting to help the camera portray white in changing light conditions. Auto white balance works for most situations but some light sources have different hues which changes the color cast of a scene. There are options to set the white balance for different lighting conditions such as incandescent or fluorescent lighting. If you want to boost the orange and warm tones of the sunset you can set your camera to the shade setting of white balance. The light in the shade has a bluish tint so the camera adds warm tones to balance out the blues and create an even tone in that circumstance, but you can use that property differently also. It can be fun to play around and see what you get.

The cloudy setting also adds warm tones.

For a different effect try the fluorescent setting.

So, though the sun sets every day, each day’s sunset is unique and offers an opportunity to seize a moment to reflect and appreciate the rhythms of the earth . Better yet, grab your camera, turn to the west and capture a moment; maybe you will be lucky enough to catch the elusive green flash.

Westward Ho!

~ Sue

when sentiment meets photography

Posted on November 6, 2012 by backyardsisters

Photography has a practical side. Sometimes, I need help remembering details and pictures have been my prompter; helping fill in the blank spots of my memory. Taking a walk down memory lane via one’s photos reveals all kinds of long forgotten moments. From one’s fashion sense through the years to the small details of a trip, photos can capture, freeze and help one trigger memories of events.

At the Musée Rodin in Paris. . .

The photo, although overexposed, brings a smile to my face as I recall spotting the “look-a-likes” that day.

Without this picture to jog my memory, I undoubtedly would have forgotten our dinner at this restaurant in Alcala de Henares, Spain. It was taken the night Spain won the Euro cup in June 2008 and the people took to the streets to celebrate. Seeing the flag waving owner of the restaurant sparks memories of the throngs of people coming out into the streets to celebrate the victory with cheers, chants and national pride. I am swept up in the excitement of the victory once again.

Using photography to document something as trivial as the time I bought store brand cotton swabs instead of Q-tips has helped me remember why. . .

I will only buy Q-tips brand from now on. Come to think of it, I should frame this and hang it in my bathroom so I can be reminded every day.

Another way to put photography to use in the memory making process is to document an item you want to remember but don’t have enough room to store. My parents recently found and returned a keepsake of mine; a bread dough sculpture one of my elementary school friends made for me as a going away present, on the occasion of our moving out of the area.

I had forgotten this cute little guy. Even though, I must admit, I don’t remember who gave it to me anymore; it still holds a special place in my heart. Now it will be memorialized in pixels forever and I will stash it in my albums to be rediscovered some day in the future; when I will be transported once again back to, not only the original gifting, but now also the time this gift re-entered my life and the photo shoot and fond memories it ignited.

Join me on memory lane,

~ Sue

Cue the fog

Posted on October 30, 2012 by backyardsisters

There’s nothing like fog for creating a spooky atmosphere, and around here, just in time for Halloween, the morning and evening fog has “come on little cat feet” as Carl Sandburg poetically expressed it. Seeing everything through a misty filter gives me an eerie feeling. Perhaps it’s the ability to hide and become almost invisible the haze provides. Or, the trees turning into ghostly figures when shrouded in fog.

Whichever it is I can’t shake a certain uneasiness while walking in the fog. Are those footsteps I hear? What was that movement up ahead? Where did that person, who was just there, go?

Sounds become amplified and ominous. I can often hear the clanging of buoys, moaning of fog horns and crashing of waves from my front yard, which is a couple of miles from the beach, in foggy weather.

At times, the fog can also elicit feelings of calm, coziness and quietude.

This day, however, I choose to get in the Halloween spirit and embrace the spookiness and eeriness of the fog.

Trick-or-treat,

~Sue

Never Just a Rose

Posted on October 23, 2012 by backyardsisters

In the words of Shakespeare, “. . . a rose by any other name would smell as sweet…” and I say it would look as beautiful too. Roses, and other flowers as well, make wonderful photographic subjects. That’s just another reason, beside the usual, I enjoy the gift of fresh flowers.

Using a window as a sidelight, creates an interesting play of shadows and highlights. In Photoshop, by adjusting the brightness/contrast levels the shadows and highlights become enhanced. I took the brightness down and added more contrast. Just for fun – my idea of fun anyway, I decided to try processing differently. This time a deep blue photo filter at 25% luminosity was added and the brightness turned up and contrast brought down, creating a softer effect.One of the great characteristics of flowers is the translucency of the petals and leaves. which makes using back lighting rewarding.

Position yourself so that the flower is between you and your light source; in this instance the sun. This brings out the details in the petals and leaves. The tiny thorns on the stem became highlighted also. If you like, you can let a bit of the light source shine through for a different feel.

Sunflowers with their large showy flowers are another one of my favorites. Here, I wanted to see how a soft, out of focus background can be achieved with a zoom lens. The first photo was taken with a zoom lens set at 80mm with an f-stop of 4.0.

The background, especially those flowers closer to the sunflower, are fairly in focus. When zoomed out to 105mm and stepping in a little closer (the only changes).

Everything in the background becomes velvety and out of focus, also known as a bokeh effect. This makes the subject stand out. Having the aperture open as wide as you can is another factor that helps create the bokeh effect. If you have a kit zoom lens and your aperture will only open as far as 4, or 5.6, zooming in will help achieve that bokeh effect.

According to Gertrude Stein, “Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose

Loveliness extreme. . . ”

I will keep trying to capture the beauty here in the backyard.

~ Sue

The Weekend Dish-Apple Butter

Posted on October 19, 2012 by backyardsisters

It began years ago; so many I don’t know the exact number. Nana, Granddad, this backyard sister and her youngest backyard girl gathering on a day in the fall to make apple butter.

After the apples have been purchased and cleaned, and the peeler/corer/slicers and jars, have been dug out of storage, we are ready to get to work.

Those peeler/corer/slicers are nifty little gadgets and save a lot of time. When all peeled,cored and sliced the apples are placed on the stove to cook.

Once they are soft enough, everyone’s favorite part begins: whirring with the hand-held blender.

Sometimes it is a solitary task, and other times a helping hand is lent.

Or, a little moral support . . .

The spices are adjusted after the first taste test.

When it’s just right, it is placed in jars and the backyard girl gets a little treat.

The backyard girl, with her excellent penmanship, always gets the job of labeling.

The day yields some delicious apple butter to be shared and enjoyed for the next few weeks, and also a fantastic bonus for this backyard sister and her daughter of time well spent catching up, reminiscing, telling tales, laughing, listening to music and dancing. We are grateful Nana and Granddad are so generous with their time and kitchen skills (utensils too!) and I, for one, always come away with not only a treasure trove of jars filled with yummy apple butter but also the precious gems of new, fond memories made from the stories told and delights of watching granddaughter and grandparents sharing with each other. That just doesn’t happen every day; but it will tomorrow. Oh, and I also come away with lots of fun photos.

Here’s the recipe in case you would like to try it and see what develops . . .

NANA’S APPLE BUTTER RECIPE

Note: This recipe is adjustable for desired quantity and flavor. Any type of apple may be used. We choose a mix of tart and sweet. Canning jars are available at most supermarkets. They need only a thorough washing and drying before use in this refrigerated canning method.

We use two pans of eight quarts each.

16 lbs. apples, peeled and cored, divided equally in the pans.

5 lbs. Granny Smith

5 lbs. Fuji

6 lbs. Honey Crisp

Into each pan mix in:

3 level Tbs. Cinnamon

¾ tsp. ground cloves

1 1/4 cups of sugar

1 1/4 cups of Simply Apple brand apple juice.

Simmer each pan on stove covered for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Taste as you go. Adjust spices to your taste. When apples become soft mash them with a potato masher, a wand mixer or whatever tool you have to smooth them to an apple butter consistency.

Yield: 14 large (16 oz.) jars.

Refrigerate after cooling.

~ Sue

backyard sisters

Saving ordinary moments from the brink of oblivion

Tag Archives: by Susan Greene

The Weekend Dish-Savory Bite

waiting and watching and wishing and hoping

Thanks for the Opportunities

The Weekend Dish

Catch a Setting Sun

when sentiment meets photography

Cue the fog

Never Just a Rose

The Weekend Dish-Apple Butter

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